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But the basis of all those things, a belief in a deity who gives a shit in some way... is one that can be rationally expressed. There are hundreds of proofs for God's existence (and just as many proofs for his nonexistence). All of them are faulty in some way... but the fact that people have been trying to prove his existence rationally for years, and have been able to convince many people smarter than you or me to accept that belief... speaks to religion being more than something based on emotive reasons.

I view religion as an attempt to explain questions for which humans will probably never know the answer or for which there is no answer. Why are we here? What is our place in the cosmos? What occurs when individual life ceases? What is moral (right) and immoral? Religion played a significant role in "civilizing" humans (while often spurring believers into acts of incredible barbarism against nonbelievers) but religion's expiration date passed at least a century ago. It played a necessary role but now the diversity and continued violently opposing tenets of major religions make it a hindrance to further human progress.

Just because 90% of the world believes in religion doesn't signify much. More than 90% of the world, including the most intelligent, believed the sun revolved around earth and had numerous proofs. The earth was flat for thousands of years. Many early humans based religious beliefs pantheistically, with nature embodying the deities affecting their lives. Humans have enslaved other humans, and still do, basing their justifications on intellectual rationalizations. Hitler had supporters worldwide and but for a few almost accidental events we might be living in a Nazi state. Many of Hitler's supporters were people of great intelligence and various religious beliefs. Even some Jews supported him.

The human intellect is not infallible by any means. We still hold beliefs based on empirical evidence which will be proved wrong by future empiricism. Look at the radical advances in such sciences as physics or medicine (ha!) over the last 100 years. I agree religion has been sustained by the intellectual efforts of many brilliant people but eventually others will lead humanity away from religion to a system of ethics which encompasses all of humanity and not a chosen few. I'm not holding my breath, though.

« Last Edit: April 13, 2007, 01:28:38 PM by Boo Radley »

Logged

String up every aristocrat!Out with the priests and let them live on their fat!

We are the most hated people on this earth (us queers). Which is why if some dawg slopes off down the bathhouse and gets his rocks off without regard to public health it's still okay by me. Draw me a map of the most democratic nations on Earth and colour in the counties where you can do simple thing like hold your man's hand at the bus stop and not get the shit beaten out of you and I'll show you (1) small pieces of land where you ain't gotta be brave or stupid (2) a map of formalised religion that holds the money, land and reins of government, Metropolitan Church notwithstanding.

I share your view on many things including the need for personal ethics...and spirituality. It never ceases to amaze me how judgmental and intolerant some so called "Christians" can be....suggesting to me that many of these people knownothing of the God they profess to love. I grew up in a home ( a preacher's kid) and having been indoctrinated as a child...had todispel many things I had learn as a fledging Christian ( the fire and brimstone part for starters) and create my own personal bond with God. Not unlike morality, spirituality is a person choice.....One we must all make for ourselves and unless others try to push their versionof religion on me, I am quite content to accept that others may hold different views or beliefs.

Despite being written by "nomads" as you put it, the Holy Bible is a tool for us to use. Having been written, edited, translated by the Jewish faith and passed down thru years, it provides us with the basics of human morality and the need for love and compassionfor our fellow man. Those who use it to rebuke or divide or destroy others of the human race have chosen to ignore it basic teachings.Personally I don't know how anyone can take it literally knowing that man himself wrote it, knowing that "the church" edited and deletedcertain passages and books they found to be disagreeable and considering all the translations and translators involved. Nor do I believethe Holy Bible is the only book of its kind. Around the world there are other books and beliefs...the Koran, the teachings of Buddah andso on....

Without love and respect for one another ...without tolerance and forgiveness.... Words like Ethics and Morality mean nothing.